Russia's prime minister, Vladimir Putin, today accused Ukraine of holding Europe hostage by refusing to pass on gas, as supplies remained shut off in a week-long crisis that has seen factories closed and thousands of people without winter heating. As the European commission president, José Manuel Barroso, warned of possible legal action against the state-run gas companies in Russia and Ukraine, Putin insisted that it was only Ukraine which could ensure the resumption of supplies. "We opened the tap, and are ready to supply gas, but on the other side, the tap is closed," said Putin. "Nobody, no transit country, has the right to use its transit location to take other customers hostage." He added: "European commission officials could use their influence over Ukraine more to ensure the supply of gas." The Russian gas giant Gazprom turned off the taps to Ukraine's pipeline system on 7 January, claiming that Ukraine was siphoning supplies destined for elsewhere in Europe. Ukraine denied this, saying instead that Russia was not pumping sufficient gas. The dispute has affected millions of people across more than 15 countries in eastern and southern Europe. Hopes of an end to the crisis rose yesterday after Gazprom said its pumping stations had resumed supplies. But the Ukrainian gas company Naftogaz said this morning it was not delivering the gas because Gazprom had set unacceptable conditions, including a demand that gas be sent via a route that would force cuts in supplies to a large part of Ukraine. Naftogaz would not agree to demands that would reduce supplies to Ukrainian customers, said the company's head, Oleh Dubina. Putin said Ukraine was at fault. "We have heard from our Ukrainian friends that they have a problem with transit of gas but it's not our problem. It's their problem and they should resolve it," he was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency. The stand-off has severely strained relations between Russia and its neighbours, as well as with the wider EU, while many affected countries are also growing increasingly frustrated with Ukraine. Barroso said today that unless supplies were restored soon he would recommend that European energy firms sue Gazprom and Naftogaz. "If the agreement is not honoured, it means that Russia and Ukraine can no longer be considered reliable partners for the European Union in matters of energy supply," he told the European parliament. Slovakia's prime minister, Robert Fico, was in Kiev today for talks with his Ukrainian counterpart, Yulia Tymoshenko. He said his country had only 11 days of gas reserves left. "After 12 days, we will be obliged to resort to measures never seen in our history. May I simply ask how long this will go on?" Fico asked Tymoshenko, according to Reuters. Tymoshenko blamed Russia and said Ukraine could do little to help. Fico later visited Moscow, where he warned that Ukraine was "losing the trust of European partners because of its behaviour". The Bulgarian prime minister, Sergei Stanishev, said :"The most unpleasant part is that millions of Europeans feel like hostages and are truly suffering." Russia last night accused the US of "orchestrating" the gas crisis. "We believed yesterday that the door for Russian gas was open but again it's been blocked by the Ukrainians," said Gazprom's deputy chairman, Alexander Medvedev. "It looks like … they are dancing to the music which is being orchestrated not in Kiev but outside the country."Putin accuses Ukraine of holding Europe hostage over gas row
Naftogaz says it is not passing on supplies to Europe due to unacceptable conditions set by Gazprom
Wednesday, 14 January 2009
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